By Rajesh Pandey
A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking legal action against the officials and authorities responsible for the tragic stampede that occurred at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on January 29, 2025.
The PIL, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari has also sought for a direction to the state of Uttar Pradesh to submit a comprehensive status report on the incident and to release the number of human casualties resulting from the stampede.
The PIL, which has been filed in the registry of the high court, is likely to be taken up by the court soon.
The PIL petitioner moved to the High Court days after the Supreme Court refused to entertain his PIL plea seeking action against Uttar Pradesh state officials for the stampede. The apex court had instead asked him to approach the Allahabad High Court.
In his PIL plea, the petitioner has also sought the forming of a five-member expert committee, chaired by a former Supreme Court Justice, to develop and implement guidelines and suggestions to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring at large gatherings.
Additionally, the PIL has also sought for a direction to the Union Government to coordinate with all states to work collectively for the safe and secure visit of devotees at Maha Kumbh.
In addition to it, the petitioner has also requested the court to direct that all states shall establish properly their facilitation centres at Prayagraj in the Maha Kumbh. These centres shall provide and display the basic information regarding the safety measures and guidelines to the persons coming from their states. In an emergency, these centres shall be ready for any assistance;
“Arrangements shall also be made for announcements, display boards showing directions, roads etc in other languages, so that people of different languages and cultures may not face problems and can get help easily in any kind of emergency”, the PIL added.
Besides, all the state governments shall also arrange electronic mode messages to send the message SMS, and App messages of basic guidelines and safety measures to be followed by the devotees, so that easily people may get information.
Further, all state governments in coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Government shall also deploy their small medical team at Prayagraj, Maha Kumbh comprising of doctors and nurses so that at the time of medical emergency there may not be a shortage of medical staff, added the PIL.
The VIP movement shall not affect or create danger to the common devotees’ safety and maximum space for entry and exit of devotees at Maha Kumbh shall be provided.
The petitioner further argues that it is the collective responsibility of all states to ensure the safety and secure visit of its respective residents and that all states shall have to come forward for proper facilitation, security, medical facilities, transportation and other facilities for their respective residents who are going to Maha Kumbh.
“Whenever such incidents happen mostly the Common and poor people become victims. For the VIPs who visit events or functions, there are separate arrangements for them. Even the traffic movement of the general public is halted for the passing of any official, politician priest or the Babas. There are several questions which are brewing up from this horrific incident of stampede thereby questioning the duty and lapse of state government and administrative authorities,” the PIL stated.
There is already another PIL petition pending in the high court seeking the constitution of a judicial monitoring committee (JMC) to collect details of all the persons missing after the stampede.
